NEWS
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is not related to I.Q. Some parents are convinced that if their child has ADD ADHD it means that they are retarded. On the other hand, other parents say, "I've heard that ADD kids are really very, very bright. I think my child must have ADD," as if they wanted to wear a button that said, "My child is smarter than your child because he has ADD."
Well, that's ridiculous.
What is the history of EEG Biofeedback treatment?
Human EEG biofeedback was first attempted in the 1960s by Joe Kamiya at the University of Chicago. Early investigations focused on operant conditioning of alpha brain waves primarily to facilitate deep relaxation and meditation. In addition, SMR/beta biofeedback was later developed from US military research of operant conditioning of EEGs in cats' demonstrated with top military fighter pilots. Dr. Barry Sterman, Professor Emeritus of UCLA, discovered that cats exposed to toxic airplane fuel chemicals that induced epileptic seizures who had trained the middle to high EEG frequency range (12-20 Hz) in a previous experiment had a greater latency to seizure onset and a higher threshold than untrained cats. (Sterman, 1976)
These results were replicated with monkeys suffering from seizures and then people with epilepsy. The results with humans have been subsequently replicated in over twelve research centers in more than twenty clinical studies.
We are expanding on this research in Vancouver in collaboration with Vancouver General Hospital, University of BC dept of Medicine and BC Children’s and Woman’s Hospital Neurological Outpatient department.
After years of treating patients with intractable seizures using SMR biofeedback, it has been noted that in addition to decreased seizure activity in hyperactive children, their behavior improved as well! Consequently, by the mid 70's, Dr. Joel Lubar at theUniversity of Tennesseestudied the effect of neurofeedback on hyperactivity in people without seizures. This established the use of EEG Biofeedback for helping people with attention disorders and hyperactivity that has since been replicated by Dr. Michael, MD and Dr. Lynda Thompson, PhD inToronto,Ontario.
By 1989 Eugene Peniston of the Fort Lyon, Colorado VA Medical Center undertook a groundbreaking study of alcoholics who received alpha-theta neurofeedback training in addition to the program normally provided. Five years following treatment, 70% of the participants were still abstinent, a phenomenal result and accomplishment for the field of medicine!
Research in EEG Biofeedback continues throughout the world expanding the clinical data and results on it’s application for addictions, Alzheimer’s, ALS, anxiety, panic attacks, autism, epilepsy, headaches, migraines, chronic pain, gastrointestinal disorders, learning disabilities, motor vehicle accidents, Parkinson’s, post-traumatic stress disorder, trauma, ALS, and more.